North American International Auto Show 2016: 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

Chevrolet’s second introduction at the North American International Auto Show was the Cruze Hatchback, a five-door version of its successful sedan, with Volkswagen, Mazda and Ford square it its sights.

What Is It?

If there’s anything you can be sure of, it’s that when somebody says “Americans don’t buy…” they’re dead wrong. Executives and prognosticators have said Americans don’t buy convertibles, station wagons and coupes, and they’ve all been proven wrong. Now they’re wrong again with the hatchback.

For 2016, Chevrolet is introducing the Cruze Hatchback, a five-door version of its popular Cruze sedan. Why a hatchback now? Because Americans are buying them at a greater pace in the last few years than they have in years. They offer compact size, but the ability to stow a fair amount of stuff, without having to go searching for a station wagon.

The Cruze Hatchback has the same 106.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but the hatch offers a pretty significant 22.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. With the rear seat stowed, the cargo area balloons to 47.2 cubic feet.

What is Chevrolet Saying?

“With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet.

“As Cruze continues to set the tone for Chevrolet globally, it articulates the brand promise of offering cars with the latest technologies, more features and greater efficiency, performance and safety with fresh, distinctive styling.”

When Does It Go On Sale?

No official on sale date was announced, but the Bolt EV goes on sale in the fall of 2016.